Writing-machine.



No. 688,642. Patented Dec. l0, lam.

E. B. HESS.

WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 12, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

INVENTOR Q/ ATTORNEYS "m: 'uonms PETERS co. PHOTO-LITNO. WASHINGYON. n.c.

No. 688,642. Patented Dec. l0, I90I. E. B. HESS.

WBITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 12, 1901.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

; INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES Prion.

PATET EDWARD B. HESS, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO VISIBLE WRITINGMACHINE (30., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. w

WRITING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,642, dated December10, 1901. Application filed August 12, 1901. Serial No. 71,719. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. HESS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Writing-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to type-writing machines of thegeneral character disclosed in United States patent to E. B. Hess, No.644,515, dated February 27, 1900- that is to say, a machine in which thetypebars are pivoted in a segment inclined to a vertical line andlocated at one side of the platen, the type-bar pivots usually occupying a space of less width than the key-levers. It is desirable, of course,that the key-levers should have a uniform touch or as nearly so as isfeasible, and for this reason the points of connection between thekey-levers and the type-bars should be a uniform distance orsubstantially so from the pivots of the keylevers. At the same time thetype-bars should be so disposed as to respond accurately as nearly asmay be to a strain or pressure that is uniform, or substantially so,with respect to all of the key-levers. To this end I arrange the pointsof connection between the keylevers and the type-bars in a transverseline that is, straight or substantially so--and preferably in a linethat is in front of the ends of the segment or curve to which thetypebars are pivoted and in rear of the central part of such curve. Theheels of the typebars, which extend from their pivots, are givendifierent angles, so that their angular relation with reference to thelinks or other devices which connect them with the typebars is mostfavorable to the operation of the respective type-bars. In this wayIaccomplish the object sought or approximate it as closely as isfeasible, so far as I know, in machines of this character.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View, and Fig. 2alongitudinal sectional skeleton view. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views oftwo type-bars.

A is the platen, B B are the ribbon-spools, and (J is a segment,which,asshown, is set at an '50 angle of forty-five degrees to the horizontalplane of the machine. The type-bars D are pivoted in it respectively atd, a curved line passing through all the pivots conforming exactly orsubstantially to the curve of the segment. Key-levers E, shown in thisinstance as pivoted at the extreme rear of the machine and extendingforward under the platen and segment 0, are each connected by a link 6to the corresponding type-bar, and the points of connection 6 on all ofthe keylevers are arranged in a straight or substantially straighttransverse line below the segment in front of its ends and in rear ofits central part, as may be clearly seen in Fig. 1. The central type-barmay be shaped as shown in Fig. 4, d being its pivot-hole, and

the heel d is inclined upwardly and rearwardly at the angle shown or ata suitable angle and is formed with a hole 6 for the attachment of thelink. The key-lever corresponding with the central type-bar is or may bedirectly below it, and the strain of the link is direct and the angle ofits pull such as is most favorable for the proper actuation of thetype-bar, as will be apparent from Fig. 2 of the drawings. In thedrawings, Fig. 1, the two type-bars at the middle of the segment areshown as lying substantially directly above their correspondingkeylevers, and both of them may advantageously be of the same shape asindicated in Fig. at and also in Fig. 2. On each side of these twocentral type-bars the relations of the respective key-levers to theirtype-bars change, in that the key-lever does not lie immediately belowthe type-bar but is to one side of it, and at the same time, owing tothe curve in which the series of pivots is disposed, the relativerelation of the type-bars and key-levers is further changed. Ineutralize the disadvantages incident to this change of relation bycorrespondingly changing the inclination of the angular projection fromthe heel of the type-bar. Thus the bar D of Fig. 3, which is or may bethe bar at one end of the series of type-bars, has its heel projectingdownwardly and rearwardly, a line passing through the axes of theapertures d 6 being at an angle of about ninety degrees to a similarline drawn through the apertures of the type-bar shown in Fig. 4, whichlatter is one of the central bars. The angle at which the link e for theouter typebar drawsis seen at Fig. 2, and it will be observed that theangle of the link and its point of connection to the type-bar is,relatively to the pivot of the bar, such as to give the most favorablecondition for the actuation of the type-bar and one which closelyapproximates that under which the central type-bar is operated. Theheels of the type-bars between a central type-bar (illustrated in Fig.4) and an end type-bar (illustrated in. Fig. 3) may be of graduallychanging angles. Such a gradual change of the angle of inclination ofthe heels of the type-bars corresponding with the changing relation ofthe key-levers to the pivots of the type-bars is theoretically the mostsatisfactory. I find, however, that in practice the type-bars may bearranged in three or .more groups, those in each group being ofidentical construction. Thus, as seen in the drawings, Fig. 1, thefourteen typebars in the center of the whole series may be of theconstruction of the central bar or barsnamely,that shown in Fig. 4-whilethe seven bars at each end of the series may be of the constructionshown in Fig. 3, and that practical satisfactory results as regardstouch of the key-levers is obtained in that way.

To provide for alining the type, I bend or curve the type-barsintermediate their ends, as shown at m in Figs. 3 and 4. By increasingthis bend with, for instance, a pair of pliers the bar may be shortened,and by flattening the curve or bend the bar may be lengthened. In thisway I may readily aline the type carried by the bars with reference tothe printing-point on the platen.

This inventionmay be applicable to writin g-machines differing from thegeneral character of machine indicated in the drawings, and it is'not myintention to restrict myself to the identical arrangement of segment andplaten and. type-bars which has been shown. For instance, the inventionmay be applied to front-stroke machines, in which the type-bar segmentis generally arranged vertically and the printing-point on the platen issubstantially in a horizontal plane passing through its 7 axis.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a writing-machine, the combination of aplaten, a type-bar segment inclined to the horizontal plane of themachine, key-levers, type-bars pivoted in the segment and havingprojections extending beyond their pivots in dinferent angular relation'to the horizontal plane of the machine according to the posi difierentangular relation to the horizontal plane of the machine according to theposition of the type-bar in the segment, and operative connectionsconnected to said projections and also connected in a straighttransverse line, or substantially so, to the key-levers.

3. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type-bar segmentinclined to the horizontal plane of the machine, key-levers, type-barspivoted in the segment and having projections extending beyond theirpivots in different angular relation to the horizontal plane of themachine according to the position of the type-bar in the segment andlinks connected to said projections, and also to the key-levers.

4. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type-bar segmentinclined t0 the horizontal plane of the machine, key-levers, type-barspivoted in the segment and having projections extending beyond theirpivots in different angular relation to the horizontal plane of themachine according to the position of the type-bar in the segment, andlink connections connected to said projections, and also to thekey-levers in a straight transverse line or substantially so.

5. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type-bar segmentinclined to the horizontal plane of the machine, type-bars pivoted inthe segment and having projections beyond their pivots in difierentangular relation to the horizontal plane according to their position inthe segment, key-levers arranged under the segment and occupying a spaceof-greater width than that occupied by the segment, and operativeconnections between said projections and the key-levers.

6. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type-bar segmentinclined ,to the horizontal plane of the machine, type-bars pivoted inthesegment and having projections beyond their pivots in differentangular relation to the horizontal plane according to their position inthe segment, key-levers arranged under the segment and occupying a spaceof greaterwidth than that occupiedlby the segment, and operativeconnections connected to said projections and also to the key levers ina transverse straight line or substantially so.

7. In a Writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type-bar segmentinclined to the horizontal plane of the machine, type-bars pivoted inthe segment and having projections beyond their pivots in differentangular relation to the horizontal plane according to their position inthe segment, key-levers arranged under the segment and occupying a spaceof greater width than that occupied by the segment, and direct linkconnections connected to said projections and also tothe keylevers in astraight transverse line or substantially so.

8. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, a type bar segmentmounted at an angle to a horizontal plane passing through the axis ofthe platen, type bars pivoted therein, normally lying toward the frontof the machine, adapted to strike the platen at a point normally in viewof the operator, and having projections extending beyond their pivots indifferent angular relation to the horizontal plane of the machineaccording to the position of the type-bar in the segment, and means foroperating the type-bars attached to said projections.

9. In a writing-machine, the combination of a platen, key-levers, atype-bar segment mounted at an angle to a horizontal plane passingthrough the axis of the platen, typebars pivoted therein, normally lyingtoward the front of the machine, adapted to strike the platen at a pointnormally in view of the operator, and having projections extendingbeyond their pivots in difierent angular relation to the horizontalplane of the machine according to the position of the type-bar in thesegment, and operative connections connected to said projections andalso connected in a straight, transverse line, or substantially so, tothe key-levers.

10. In a writing-machine,the combination of a platen, key-levers, atype-bar segment said projections, and also to the key-levers in astraight, transverse line or substantially so. In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subscribed my name.

EDWARD B. HESS. Witnesses:

EDWARD C. DAVIDSON, KATHARINE MACMAHON.

